Connor Bedard leads the Chicago Blackhawks in total points after 14 games in the NHL season. However, the young star holds himself to a high standard and recently made a candid self-critique about an area he has struggled with so far this season.
There aren’t many 19-year old players with Bedard’s mentality. The Blackhawks centerman is obsessed with becoming an all-time great and despite his impressive plays night in and night out, he pushes himself to be the best he can be. Coming into the 2024/25 season the expectations were high for last year’s Calder Trophy winner, yet nobody is more at Bedard’s neck than himself.
Through the opening month in the NHL season, Bedard tallies 12 points (3G, 9A). Enough to rank first among the Blackhawks, but not nearly enough for Bedard’s self-evaluation. However, the point production is not what’s bugging Connor the most about his performance. Instead, the sophomore is upset with his results at the faceoff dot.
“It’s either average or it’s really bad,” Bedard said, via Chicago Sun Times. “[It’s about] consistency and finding different ways to win them. Last year, I really only did one thing, and you’re not going to win many draws like that. I’m trying to find a couple new ways to win, but I’ve got to obviously be better.”
Through the first 14 games of the Regular Season, Bedard touts a 30.0% faceoff percentage.
Faceoff struggles are a ‘we’ problem in Chicago
Fans in ‘Windy City’ can only hope a strong breeze helps them even the scale in the faceoff dot. Although Bedard’s faceoff percentage indicates an area to work on, it’s become a common topic among the Hawks centermen.
The Blackhawks rank 27th in the league with a 44.6% percentage of success at the draw spot. Last season, Chicago finished 30th in this department. There’s definitely an ongoing issue in Chi-town, and it’s not just Bedard struggling with it.